Cardinal Virtues
by FloatingAmoeba
Summary: Seven oneshots based on the Seven Heavenly Virtues. Taken from the Fantasy Script challenge. Jane/Lisbon, Risby/Van Pelt.
1. Faith

A/N So I'm stepping outside the sandbox to go play on the jungle gym. This is my very first Mentalist fanfic, so please be nice to me! Taken from the 'Seven Heavenly Virtues' challenge at The Fantasy Script (you should check it out!). *frowns* I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting it here too...uh-oh. I'ma go check.

Disclaimer: *eyeroll* Just like everything else, I'm still in negotiations. It's taking some time- Lisbon won't keep her hands of Jane long enough for him to sign the damn papers...

* * *

"Why do I **always** listen to you?"

"Because I'm always right."

Lisbon scoffed, leaning against the fence and crouching down as a shower of bullets flew above their heads.

"If I get shot, I'm so blaming you," she said after a moment. Jane chuckled, wincing at yet another volley of gunfire.

"Why? Because I was right?"

"No, because you needed a favor."

_Jane walked into Lisbon's office._

"_I need a favor."_

_She glanced up._

"_Have you heard of knocking?"_

"_I missed that memo," the consultant replied. Lisbon sat back in her chair, folding her arms with a sigh._

"_You need a favor?"_

"_Yes. Please," he added as an afterthought. She raised an eyebrow in surprise._

"_What do you need?"_

"_I want to talk to Mr Rawlings again, because I think he killed his wife, but after what happened last time..."_

_Lisbon frowned suspiciously, knowing the answer to her next question before it was even asked._

"_And who do you require this favor from?"_

_Jane gave her a winning smile._

"_You, of course."_

"_I'm busy," she replied._

"_Can't you even spare half an hour for your favourite consultant?"_

"_If I see him, I'll let you know," Lisbon said, trying to hide a smile. Jane sighed._

"_Please. I just need a second opinion." Lisbon stared at him. Eventually, she nodded, and stood up, reaching for her jacket._

"_Fine, but only because you've said 'please' twice in the space of about five minutes."_

_Hiding a smile, Jane allowed her to brush past him, strolling after her in the direction of the others._

_Yes, this was going to be a good day._

"Ow, woman! How was I supposed to know he'd crack and lock himself and his child in the barn?" Jane pouted, "And anyway, can't you just shoot him?"

Lisbon stared at him incredulously, punching his arm for the second time.

"He has his daughter in there, Jane! I can't just shoot my way out!"

"I didn't say 'shoot your way out', I said shoot **him**."

Lisbon shook her head.

"We can't stay here," she said distractedly, looking around for an escape route. Jane raised his eyebrows.

"No? From where I'm sitting, here seems like an awfully good place to be."

The dark look she shot him caused a grin to break across his face, and Lisbon rolled her eyes. She glanced from side to side.

"OK, when I say go, head for the car," she commanded. All traces of laughter left his face.

"What about you?" Jane asked in concern. Lisbon granted him a small smile.

"Trust me, I'll be right behind you."

He hesitated, before nodding once. She waited for the gunfire to stop.

"Go!"

They sprinted to the car, collapsing behind it just as Rawlings unleashed a fresh round of bullets.

Her cell phone began to ring. Cho's name flashed up on the screen, and she flipped it open.

"Where are you?" Lisbon demanded.

"The other side of the log pile. Rigsby's shot," Cho said. So that would explain Van Pelt's frantic words in the background. Lisbon swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat.

"How bad?"

"Bad," her agent replied, his voice tight and anxious. On a whim, Lisbon straightened, peering over the roof of the car towards the house. The next thing Jane knew, she was falling backwards, a hiss of pain escaping from between her lips.

His eyes darted to the red stain spreading across the sleeve of her shirt.

"Lisbon!"

"I'm fine," she gasped, "it's just a flesh wound."

"Boss?" Cho said. They had forgotten he was still on the line. Jane snatched the cell phone from her trembling hand.

"Stay where you are. We'll call you back," he explained hurriedly. Lisbon blew out a slow breath, pressing a hand to the flesh wound just above her elbow.

Jane turned to her, the corner of his eyes tightening at the blood staining her shirt.

"Let me talk to Rawlings," he pleaded.

"Not while he's waving a machine gun around!"

"But Lisbon..."

"I said no!" she snapped. He watched her sit down beside the car, gun held in one hand and her other trying to stem the flow of blood from her arm.

"Do you believe in God?" he asked suddenly. She turned to him incredulously, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"You're asking me now?" He shrugged, ducking as more shots flew over their heads.

"Just in case we don't make it. I want to know what's waiting for you." She shook her head in disbelief, wincing at the pain in her arm.

"That's not an easy question, Jane."

"Sure it is."

"Fine. Yes, I believe in God."

"Good," he said, and was surprised to find he meant it, "I'm glad."

Jane dazzled her with a bright grin, hastily shuffling out into the open. He had forgotten how quick she was, even wounded, because Lisbon grabbed his wrist to pull him back into safety.

"What are you doing?" she hissed as another shower of bullets rained above them. Jane gently removed his hand from her iron grip. He winked, smiling down at her.

"Have faith, my dear Lisbon. Have faith."

And Lisbon had faith when Jane stepped out from behind the safety of the car with his arms raised.

She had faith when he talked their suspect out of the barn, and she had faith when Cho dashed out to lock the handcuffs around his wrists.

She had faith when the ambulances turned up, when Rigsby was lifted onto the stretcher.

And she had faith when Jane reappeared with four-year-old Macy Rawlings held safely in his arms. He came to a stop beside her, and as if it was moving on its own accord, Lisbon felt her hand move to the child's face, smoothing her soft brown hair away.

Jane grinned knowingly when she narrowed her eyes in his direction.

"I told you all you had to do was have a little faith."

* * *

I don't particularly like trying new things, but I'm totally in love with The Mentalist (*cough* Simon Baker *cough*) so I gave it a go! If you get a chance, please leave me a review on the way out! Thanks! :)


	2. Hope

A/N I meant to mention before that these will most likely be totally unrelated. That may explain why I'm writing a Christmas fic in August... Also, thanks for the outstanding feedback on the previous chapter! :) Oh yeah, and this part may seem a little OOC, and I may have used my artistic license card a little much, but hey! It's just a bit of fun, right? Established RigsPelt to follow, although Red John is still at large!

Disclaimer: I got a phonecall saying I'd won a Macy's voucher, but I don't think Simon Baker was included...

* * *

As far as Patrick Jane was concerned, Christmas was just an excuse to lose all inhibitions and make foolish mistakes, a time filled with fake happiness and false hopes and ignorant children that were yet to be disillusioned.

He should have known that the Christmas Spirit wouldn't bypass him yet again. Van Pelt switched off her desk lamp.

"Good night, Jane!" she called cheerily, and he looked up just in time to see her tangle her fingers around Rigsby's, "We'll see you when we get back!"

As they disappeared towards the elevator, Cho shook his head.

"I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already. I hate Christmas," he murmured. Jane arched an eyebrow.

"You shouldn't be such a Scrooge. And anyway, don't you have some traditional family gathering to attend?"

Cho stood up, reaching for his coat and gloves.

"Don't remind me."

Moving away, he hesitated, looking towards the shuttered blinds of Lisbon's office.

"Maybe this year you can give her Christmas," he said softly, his face sad yet hopeful as he gave Jane a brief nod. The consultant didn't bother with a reply- he didn't really know what to say- and instead chose to move slowly into the kitchen to make some tea.

On his way back to his sofa, Jane paused outside Lisbon's office.

"No, Mark...I can't. There's too much to do at work...I know it's Christmas..." She sighed heavily, and Jane wanted nothing more than to snatch the phone and give whoever Lisbon was talking a piece of his mind for putting that defeat in her voice.

"...no, I can't just drop everything and get on a flight to Boston..."

A light bulb went off in his brain. Her brother. Lisbon was talking to her brother. And, Jane realized, was desperately trying to worm her way out of yet another family Christmas. She sighed again, this time out of exasperation.

"No, Mark...no, Van Pelt and Rigsby are going to her parents place in Iowa...Cho has a big family thing..." She laughed at something her caller said, "I have no idea what Jane is doing. Unlikely...I can't...Because we're not that kind of team."

Her sad 'goodbye' was followed by the cell phone dropping to the desk, and he tapped softly on the door.

"Come in, Jane."

Chuckling softly, the consultant sat himself in the chair opposite her. When he didn't say anything, Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"You should go to see your brothers," he said simply.

"Who says I want to?" she replied. Jane leant forward, an almost imperceptible frown creasing his brow.

"You don't?"

"I have work to do."

"Liar," he replied quickly. Lisbon sat back in her seat, angrily throwing down her pen.

"Go away."

Jane moved to her own couch, sitting down and folding one knee over the other.

"Not until you let me drive you to the airport."

"I'm not going to Boston, Jane. Leave it alone."

"Then at least let me take you home?" he persisted. Lisbon closed her eyes, bit her lip, counted to ten, and then opened them again.

"I'm not letting you take me anywhere, so why are you still in my office?"

Jane threw a friendly arm along the back of her sofa.

"It's Christmas. I want to spend time with you."

"Here?" she scoffed, "At work?"

"You just said that you wouldn't let me take you anywhere. Tell me about your hopes and dreams."

"My hopes and dreams?" Lisbon echoed, her voice a perfect blend of weariness, amusement and disbelief. Seeing her sudden abandonment of stubbornness, the consultant flashed his trademark grin.

"Yes. For the next 12 months."

"Do I have to?"

"No, but you will, because you think that if you go along with my outlandish requests, I'll leave. You're wrong, but I admire your thinking," Jane stated infuriatingly.

"Fine," Lisbon sighed, "I hope Minnelli will take the early retirement he's been moaning about for the past twelve years."

Jane chuckled, and waved her closer, patting the seat beside him. Lisbon reluctantly took up a place at the other end of the couch, careful to keep plenty of space between them to avoid unnecessary contact.

She thought for a moment.

"I hope Cho gets offered a promotion. He deserves his own team."

"You'd miss him," Jane observed. Lisbon glared at him for implying that she wasn't as emotion-proof as she made out to be, and shuffled uncomfortably under the intensity of his stare.

"I hope Rigsby proposes to Van Pelt," she continued softly. If Jane was surprised, it didn't show.

"He will," he assured with a nod.

"You don't know that."

"Sure I do."

"How?"

"He's already got the ring."

At the look of indignant outrage on her face, Jane had to laugh.

"It's OK, Lisbon. Cho doesn't know either," he teased gently. She slapped his arm.

"Shut up. Why do you know more about my team than I do?"

He sensed there was no right answer, and instead of replying, chose to simply smile disarmingly.

"Carry on with your list," he prompted. Lisbon shrugged.

"That's it. I'm done."

All traces of fun were suddenly gone from his face, replaced by a slight frown.

"Really?"

"Really," she confirmed.

"But those weren't _your_ hopes!" Jane protested, "That was a list of things you want for _other_ people!"

Lisbon nodded slowly.

"Yes, my list of **hopes** for the people around me."

"Teresa..."

"What about you? What are your hopes?" she said hastily, a pink stain creeping into her cheeks. He smiled to himself.

"Oh, I have big hopes for this next year."

"If they involve Red John, I don't want to know."

"Not him. Changes, I'd say. Rather than hopes."

Lisbon stood up, crossing to the other side of her office.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she said in alarm, "That's what you and Van Pelt were whispering about this morning!"

He chuckled at the mixture of emotions she was failing to conceal, and shook his head no.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, you know. You end up getting the wrong end of the stick."

"Don't lie to me, Patrick Jane! I heard you talking about moving on!"

Jane moved towards her, until he was standing far too close for her liking, his eyes boring into hers like a drill into wood.

"Calm down, woman," he said quietly. Lisbon froze, eyeing him uncertainly.

"What are you doing?"

"Van Pelt and I were talking about moving on. But not in the way you're thinking."

"Jane..."

"I'm ready to move on from my past," he murmured, "and I would like to think you're going to come with me."

Lisbon didn't reply. She stared at him, trying to work out where this had come from. Was she really that oblivious? Her mouth opened, but Lisbon found her attempt to speak nothing more than an epic fail.

A frown creased her brow, before fading into the tiniest of smiles. She slowly slid her hand into his, feeling the cold band missing from his finger. Her eyes never broke away from their intense stare.

Realizing that he was still expecting an answer, Lisbon cleared her throat.

"I hope you can keep up."

* * *

I realized today that some of these are harder than I thought they were going to be. This, obviously, was one of them. I hope you get a chance to let me know what you think! :)


	3. Charity

A/N So this was an absolute...pain, to write. I had about three different ideas, and decided to run with this one yesterday. Anyway, thanks to everybody who took the time to review the previous chapter! It really means a lot. Enjoy this chapter! Flashbacks in italics.

Disclaimer: I double checked my Macy's voucher, and it actually says that Simon Baker is a free gift, but I don't know if I have anywhere to put him...

* * *

For an investigative officer, Teresa Lisbon wasn't very good at knowing when she was being followed.

Which, Jane supposed, was a good thing for him.

As the black SUV ahead of him turned left, the consultant did likewise, making sure to keep an inconspicuous distance away. He frowned slightly.

"Where are you going?" he murmured to himself. This was the sixth time she had left work early. The sixth Friday in a row, to be exact.

Jane was curious. There was no other explanation (or so he desperately tried to persuade himself) as to why he would be following her around to find out where she was going.

It would have made things a lot easier if she had just told him

"_Boss, when do you wa...?" Rigsby started, seeing her emerge from her office._

"_Leave it on my desk. I'll deal with it in the morning."_

"_Where are you going?" Jane asked, not even bothering to open his eyes._

"_Out," Lisbon replied. Van Pelt and Rigsby exchanged mystified looks, watching as she pulled on her jacket. Jane sat up sharply, much like a meercat on a mission, and levelled her with a steady gaze._

"_Where are you going?" he repeated with a smile. Cho shook his head, chuckling to himself._

"_None of your business," the boss said easily, "I'll see you tomorrow."_

And so it began- the quest to find out where Lisbon went every Friday afternoon.

After much deliberation, Jane and the team had ruled out the scary idea that their boss was dating. Rigsby and Cho were certain that they would know. Van Pelt said it was just unlikely, all things considering.

"What do you mean 'all things considering'?" Jane had demanded, but the red-head just smirked knowingly.

Jane himself was loathe to think on it more than he had to, because the idea of Lisbon with another made him feel slightly nauseous.

Van Pelt had suggested that maybe Lisbon had joined a club- Rigsby shot that down by asking why she wouldn't tell them.

So, after exhausting numerous possibilities, here he was.

She turned left again, driving halfway down the street before disappearing from his sight. Pulling over, Jane stuck his head out of the window, looking up and down the street for his target.

Not seeing her anywhere, and realizing he had no idea where they were, Jane sighed.

"Well, this should be fun."

* * *

The only noticeable thing about the street on which Jane had parked his car was the church. So, he thought, it would probably be the ideal place to start.

The hall was buzzing. That was the only word he could use to describe the rambunctious chaos he had just entered. Despite the noise, Jane had to breathe in appreciatively- the smell was great. A mixture of chicken, tomato and fresh bread.

"Hey, watch it, boy!"

Jane jumped, spinning around to come face to face with an angry woman, her gray hair filthy and matted. She clutched a bowl of soup to her chest, coveting it protectively and fixing him with a steely glare.

"I'm sorry," he apologized with a smile. The woman's face softened at the sight of the charming twinkle in his eyes, and shuffled away.

"Jus' don't spill my soup 'gain."

It was a kitchen, Jane realized, God's gift to the homeless and needy. And, judging by the numbers of people, quite a popular one. Long tables stretched along either side of the hall, spare seats unlikely.

A hand touched him on the arm.

"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?"

Jane turned, smiling sheepishly at the realization that he must look totally out of place. The woman returned the smile easily, and he relaxed slightly.

"Yes, actually. What is this?" he asked, gesturing around.

"Every day the church opens its doors to the homeless and needy. Soup, bread, clean clothes. We run a child-care centre for the...working moms."

"We?"

"Father Anthony and the congregation. But some of the volunteers aren't even religious."

"I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for my friend, Te..."

Jane never got to finish his sentence, because like Moses and the Red Sea, the crowds parted to reveal a small group of children, and Jane felt his breath catch.

"JANE!"

* * *

He tried to smile, but the realization that he had gotten the whole situation very, very wrong made it hard. Lisbon stared at him in shock.

"What are you doing here?" she said angrily, blushing bright red. A small girl hid behind her knees, her thumb glued to her mouth, her bright blue eyes staring up at him curiously.

Jane felt a stab of pain in the pit of his stomach at the memory of his daughter, but bravely battled on.

"Ah, Lisbon! How nice to see you! Do you come here often?"

"Did you _follow _me? Dammit, Jane, what is **wrong** with you?"

The woman who had been speaking to the consultant arched an eyebrow.

"Patrick Jane?" she repeated in amusement, "_You're _Patrick Jane? Well, _that_ explains a lot."

"Lacey..." Lisbon ground out threateningly, "Maybe you'd like to take over for a minute?"

"Sure thing, Tess," Lacey replied with a wink. Rolling her eyes, the small brunette grabbed his arm, pulling him (hard) away from the group of children. She finally released his arm when they were away from the main hall, in a corridor that presumably led to the actual church.

"I'll ask you again," she said in a deadly voice, "and this time I want an answer. What are you doing here?"

Jane shrugged.

"I followed you. Six weeks in a row, you've left early. I wanted to know why."

"So you've been stalking me for six weeks?" He shook his head.

"Tut tut, Lisbon. It's not stalking, it's just me looking out for you. And no, tonight was the first time."

"I don't need you to look out for me. I carry a gun."

"And what good would that do you against someone who attacks you from behind, eh?" Jane pointed out, "Anyway, I have a question. Why do you choose to spend your time in a church when you haven't followed a religion for years?"

Lisbon sighed, running a tired hand through her hair.

"I like it here."

"No, you don't. Your shoulders are tense, your eyes are tired, and the bags beneath them have grown since you left the CBI."

She hesitated, and moved to lean against the cool stone pillar. Jane remained motionless, just content to watch her.

"After my mother died, my father just...lost it," she began softly, "He's drink every hour of the day. When he...when he forgot to leave money out, and when there was no food in the house because I didn't have a chance to go to the store, and when the phone line had been cut off because we didn't pay the bills, my brothers and I used to go to the soup kitchen at our church."

Lisbon took a deep breath, letting her head fall back onto the rock.

"I can't repay the people that helped me, so I try to help the people here instead."

Jane lowered his head.

"I'm sorry," he said seriously. She scoffed.

"No, you're not," she replied bitterly, glaring fiercely, "And now that you have your answer, I'd like you to leave."

"Lisbon..."

"Leave, Jane. Now."

"Why are you so angry?"

"LEAVE!"

So he did, with his hands hanging loosely by his sides, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows, and a frown creasing his brow.

* * *

Hours later, Lisbon kicked the side of her SUV in frustration, glaring at the flat and deflated tyre.

"Great," she muttered, "perfect."

This time Patrick Jane had gone too far. Bugging her at work, at weekends, at Christmas, was one thing, but to actually invade her privacy by following her across town...

With a growl of frustration, Lisbon grabbed her gun, badge and purse from the glove compartment, locked the car, and began to walk down the street towards her home. She hadn't got more than two blocks when the sky opened and rain began to fall in heavy sheets.

"Is this my punishment for being mean to Jane?" she cried.

"Maybe, but I think the flat tyre had that covered," came the familiar voice shouting over the rain. As she saw the crappy blue car pulling in beside her, Lisbon stopped, rolling her eyes.

"I told you to leave me alone."

"Since when do I listen? And you do know it's raining, right?"

Lisbon frowned, speeding up to get as far away from him as possible.

"You work that one out all by yourself?" she snapped. Jane grinned, and pressing his foot onto the gas pedal, set his vehicle gliding along beside her.

"Let me give you a ride."

"No."

"Really?"

She hesitated. It was Jane's turn to roll his eyes, and he came to a stop.

"You're determination to deny any contact between us is admirable, Lisbon, but please. Get in the car."

Lisbon nodded, and climbed into the passenger's seat beside him.

"Jane?"

"Lisbon?"

"You let the air out of my tyre, didn't you?"

* * *

Jane pulled up outside her apartment, and proceeded to follow her up to the door. Lisbon sighed.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to make you dinner," he said, his voice light and matter-of-fact.

"I don't want your guilty charity, Jane."

"So you'd rather spend the evening alone? In a cold and lonely apartment?"

Lisbon glared at him, but her silence was more than enough to give him an answer. He took a step towards her, his hand finding the curve of her arm.

"Let me make you dinner."

"No, because this is just you feeling guilty for ruining my afternoon," she repeated. Jane chuckled, dropping his hand from her shoulder.

"Whatever you say. Personally, I'd say it was more of a friendly act of kindness, from one friend to another."

"We're not friends."

"I disagree, Lisbon."

Lisbon glared at him. Jane smirked infuriatingly, waiting for her to unlock the door.

"I may enjoy charity work, but I'm not feeling generous enough to let you spend the night here," she said, sliding the key into the hole. Jane looked at her curiously.

"I never said anything about spending the night. That you made that leap tells me that the thought _had _occurred to you, which I find strangely flattering."

"Oh, God..." she moaned, at the realization that she had just willingly let him into her home.

"No, not God, Lisbon. Jane. Patrick Jane..."

* * *

OOC and unlikely, but WTF, because it made me happy to read it! I hope you enjoyed it too! :)


	4. Fortitude

A/N See? This is how much I love you guys- you get an update after only two days! :) Thanks so much for all the reviews on the last couple of chapters, and I hope you enjoy this one just as much!

* * *

Lisbon opened the door to the exam room. The nurse seeing to Jane glanced up from cleaning the cut on his head. At seeing his boss enter the room, Jane rolled his eyes.

"Feel free to stab him with a needle," Lisbon said angrily. The nurse nodded, smirking in amusement, and left them alone. Lisbon moved to stand between his legs, picking up the antiseptic pad and beginning cleaning the wound. Jane winced, and glared at her.

"That hurts," he muttered, and couldn't help but think she must have done this before. She glared back at him.

"Good."

Jane ground his teeth together against the sharp pain. Her face softened, and Lisbon paused, waiting for the pain to pass.

"You're not going to ask me what happened?" Jane said.

"Nope."

"You're not even the littlest bit curious as to why I have seven stitches in my head?"

"Nope."

Jane stayed silent for a few minutes.

"It wasn't my fault, you know."

"Of course it wasn't," Lisbon muttered.

"It was _**Mark**_."

Lisbon rolled her eyes, and lowered the antiseptic pad from his head, replacing it with her fingertips as she poked and prodded at his bruises.

"Mark as in the victim's husband's, or another Mark who hates you?"

Jane pretended to be insulted.

"Lisbon, are you saying that the victim's husband hates me? But why?"

This time, Lisbon couldn't help but smirk.

"Because you're a pain in the ass."

Cho and Rigsby entered the room, concern evident on both men's faces.

"You alright?" Cho asked. Jane nodded, and with a slight shrug, gestured at the woman currently pinning him beneath a steely glare.

"Yes, I'm fine. Nurse Lisbon was just patching me up."

"What's up?" Lisbon said, not-so-accidentally increasing the pressure of her fingertips on Jane's brow. Rigsby sniggered at the discomfort on his face, before clearing his throat.

"Grace called. Mark Jameson received a substantial cash deposit three days ago, from an account registered to a Mr Derek Saul. You want us to check it out?"

With a sigh, their boss stepped away from Jane, eyeing him warily.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and they all pretended not to hear the concern in her voice. Jane attempted a bright smile.

"I've never felt better."

"You have a serious head wound," Cho pointed out in disbelief. Jane scoffed.

"Meh, this? This is nothing."

"Well nothing or not, I'm not having you out in the field," Lisbon said firmly, "Rigsby, take him back to the CBI. Cho, you and me will go see Mr Jameson again."

"And arrest him for assault, I hope?" Jane interjected. She ignored him.

"Get Van Pelt to run background on this Derek guy."

"And arrest him for the assault of an officer."

"You're not an officer," Lisbon replied. Jane smirked.

"He didn't know that..."

* * *

Cho was the only person, besides herself, that Lisbon trusted behind the wheel of a car. Ever since her mother died, driving had become something of a test of courage, of inner strength.

Jane really did drive too fast, and Rigsby lost focus too easily, and Van Pelt wasn't quite confident enough to be reassuring. Cho, on the other hand, drove much like Lisbon herself- calm, controlled and perfectly in keeping with the law.

So, occasionally, Lisbon would relinquish her slightly neurotic hold on the keys.

Moving to the right lane to take the exit, Cho glanced across at her, letting out a rare chuckle at the concerned frown that was still creasing her brow.

"Jane's going to be fine, you know. But I think you should tell him."

His face looked so blank when she turned her head to stare at him incredulously, that Lisbon wondered if he had even opened his mouth. She blinked, before refocusing her attention out of the window.

"Tell him what?"

"Tell him that you're in love with him."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, Tess," Cho said quietly, and the use of her first name made her jump, "I'm not as good as Jane, but even I know when you're lying."

"I'm not lying," she replied quickly. Cho merely smirked, not even granting her a reply, knowing that her own guilty thoughts would consume her any second.

Sure enough, as he pulled onto the exit ramp, Lisbon groaned, pressing her cheek against the window in frustration.

"Oh, this is _**so**_ bad..."

Luckily for him, Cho was saved from answering by the sharp ring of her cell phone. Lisbon glanced at the number, and frowned, quickly flipping it open.

"Van Pelt?"

"Boss," Grace said, her voice wavering, "something bad happened..."

"What is it, Grace?" Lisbon demanded, cold fear already clutching at her heart. Cho glanced at her from the corner of his eye, struggling to keep his attention on the road at the tone of her voice. Van Pelt took a deep breath.

"It's Jane..."

* * *

Having demanded Jane's room number from the nurse at reception, Lisbon and Cho all but ran through the hospital, skidding to a halt when they saw Van Pelt and Rigsby in the corridor outside.

"What the hell happened?" Cho asked. Rigsby winced as Grace held a towel to the nasty wound on his head.

"Red pick-up. Ran us off the road. EMT said the other driver was DOA," he explained in a strained voice, "Impact was passenger side..."

Cho turned to look at Lisbon, who had headed straight for the doctor just emerging from Jane's room.

"What do you mean 'internal bleeding'?" she demanded, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso. The doctor led her into the room, and their voices became muffled.

After a moment, Lisbon reappeared, going straight to Rigsby. She sat down on his other side, resting her hand lightly on his bloodied sleeve.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly. He couldn't look at her, his bottom lip trembling.

"I'm sorry, boss. I should have..."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Wayne," Lisbon reassured gently, "it was an accident."

"But Jane..." he muttered, hastily wiping his eyes.

"Jane will be fine," she said, and for a moment, they all believed her.

If he didn't know her as well as he did, Cho would have been hard pressed to tell she was trying not to cry.

* * *

His hand was limp in hers. His hair stood out against the white of the hospital room, and she blinked a fresh wave of tears. She really shouldn't be there. He wouldn't want her there. Would he?

Who else would be there? There was no one else. Just her. And him, with all his drama and troubles and pain. All his pain.

Her eyes lingered on the bandage around his head, the cuts and bruises marring the rest of his body, feeling her chest tighten as she realized exactly how close she'd come to losing him again. He looked peaceful. Maybe this was the only time he slept. Maybe he had wanted this, just so he could get a good night's sleep.

"When are you going to learn that you're not invincible?" she whispered, squeezing his hand.

There was no reply.

And then Lisbon was angry.

"You are such an **ass**!" she snapped, "I was just about to work up the courage to tell you that I _may_ have feelings for you, and then you almost get yourself killed! My God, I can't believe you would do that!"

She began pacing the width of the room, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

"What about the team? They're all out there, trying to be strong for _me, _when you're the **moron **who got into a car accident! How could you do this to Rigsby? He's blaming _himself_. And...and..."

Her eyes began to fill up with tears, so she stopped pacing, instead sinking back into the chair beside her motionless consultant, and once again taking his hand in hers.

"I just don't know how much longer we can pretend to be strong, Jane," she said quietly.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage."

Lisbon shot away from him faster than he thought possible, her face paling. Jane managed a chuckle, before it faded to his usual grin.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked in dread.

"Long enough to know that I'm not invincible, and that you have feelings for me."

"Jane! How could you? We thought...**I **thought...my God, you're such a jerk!"

"Can you not shout? Headache, you know."

Lisbon moved back to her seat, once again sitting down, but this time leaving his hand untouched.

"You're an ass."

"And you're not denying that you _like_ me."

"Then I guess we're both right," Lisbon replied bravely. Jane chuckled, his fingers finding hers and tangling around them. A perfect fit, he noted.

"That's good," he murmured, "I like you too."

As the pain meds made his eyelids droop, Lisbon rolled her eyes, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I still can't decide whether I should shoot you myself."

Jane chuckled sleepily.

"You'd miss me."

Lisbon nodded, watching him drift back into unconsciousness.

"Yes," she agreed, "I would."

* * *

Satisfactory, I suppose. Sigh. I know, I know, I'm my own worst critic. But I still love to hear what you guys think! *big smile*


	5. Justice

A/N I'm sorry it took me so long to get this up! We're having work done on our apartment, so the Internet is all weird, and not to mention the ending of this chapter had me stumped for quite some while. In the end I just gave up on trying to write somethign half-way fitting at the end! ;) I really hope you enjoy it, and thanks for all the great encouragement!

Disclaimer: Unless Simon Baker is going to turn up at our apartment wearing nothing but jeans and a hard hat, I don't think I own The Mentalist...

* * *

She'd fallen asleep in his arms.

Obviously, she hadn't meant to, and would be mortified if anyone found out, but for now, he was content to believe that maybe his arms was where she was supposed to be.

"_Please, Jane," she begged, her gun levelled at the space between her consultant and the man who had haunted him for years, "don't do this."_

"_I'm sorry, Lisbon," he said calmly, "but my decision was made a long time before I met you."_

_Red John stared back at Jane unflinchingly, nothing more than a shadow of the man who had once terrorized California. Lisbon felt tears build in her eyes._

"_Jane, please. Put the knife down."_

"_He killed my wife and daughter, Lisbon. He took everything."_

_For a moment, he considered doing it there and then, making it quick, but that would defeat the point._

_And then Lisbon spoke again, and his grip on the knife faltered._

"_What about me?"_

If she hadn't taken a life for him, he wouldn't have his to share with her.

If she hadn't turned up at the CBI, knowing he would be there, fire burning in her eyes, and if she hadn't told him that he was an idiot, he wouldn't have had the chance to tell her he was sorry.

_In the end, Red John had killed himself. He lunged for the knife in Jane's hand, tore it from the consultant's grasp. Jane felt it slice through the fabric of his shirt, tear the skin at the top of his arm._

_As blood started to stain the white material, Lisbon didn't even hesitate, pulling the trigger twice and giving them both the satisfaction of watching Red John fall to the floor._

If she hadn't shouted at him, hadn't accidentally revealed that her feelings ran far deeper than they were supposed to, he wouldn't know how she felt.

And if he didn't know how she felt, then he might have risked it all again, but maybe next time she wouldn't have been able to cry herself to sleep in his arms, because maybe next time he would be dead.

_Lisbon handed her weapon to Cho, who granted her a rare smile, and placed it into an evidence bag. There would be no investigation. As far as the CBI was concerned, Lisbon had done them a favor, saving one of their consultants in the process._

_Jane was still standing in the centre of the barn, staring at the bloodied ground long after the body had been removed. Lisbon touched him gently on the back._

"_Hey," she said softly. Jane gave her a sideways glance._

"_You didn't let me kill him."_

"_No. I let you be the better man."_

"_I didn't want to be the better man."_

"_You're thinking wrong again, Jane. I think you did want to be the better man, which is why you hesitated."_

"_I hesitated because of you!"_

She stirred, and he suddenly pressed a kiss to her forehead. He knew that they were going somewhere (call it ambitious, but by God would he make it happen) and this time he wasn't going to let it slip by.

_Lisbon frowned as he walked away from her._

"_Where are you going?" she called._

_Jane shook his head, and kept walking._

It was a vicious circle.

She shifted again, and Jane felt his arms subconsciously tighten around her.

"Jane?" Lisbon asked sleepily.

"I'm here," he replied, and then frowned. He **was **there, with a woman that wasn't his wife wrapped securely in his arms, and a peace in his heart that had been missing for years. Lisbon moved to sit up, her sleep-heavy eyes barely open.

All in all, Jane thought with an inner smile, she looked absolutely adorable, with her mussed hair and confused frown.

As the events of the day before came crashing back, Lisbon glanced up at him in concern.

"You didn't do anything stupid while I was asleep, did you?"

"No, my dear. You had me pinned to the sofa," he replied. Blushing, the small woman beside him moved away.

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize. You gave me time to think."

"About what?" Lisbon asked warily, sitting at the other end of the sofa and folding her legs beneath her.

"Justice."

At the matter-of-fact tone to his voice, she blinked, the sudden memory of **why** she was sitting on 'his' sofa in the middle of their office causing her heart to plummet to the pit of her stomach.

"Justice?"

"You should have let me killed Red John."

"But that's not justice, Jane!" she protested, "That's a misguided attempt at revenge."

"An eye for an eye," Jane replied calmly, "so tell me, which part of that isn't just and fair?"

"The part where it never stops?"

When he didn't reply, Lisbon moved towards him, stopping only when he had no choice but to look at her.

"I know," she began softly, "how much you wanted to kill him yourself. You wanted to get back at the man who took your family away. I get that, Jane, I really do..."

Lisbon sighed heavily, her hands itching to rest on his chest, yet glued firmly to her sides.

"You wanted to hurt the man who took away the most important thing in your life. To make him feel all the pain that you had to deal with, more so if it would help. But then you realize that you have a life to live, so you let all the anger just...build up."

Jane bent his head to look her in the eyes.

"Are we still talking about me?" he asked gently.

"Maybe."

There was silence for a moment, until Lisbon spoke again, her voice calm and full of strength.

"I can't speak for your wife and daughter, Patrick, and I would never pretend to, but I know that the people _here _who care about you wouldn't want you to rot away in a prison cell because you were too damn stubborn to ask for help."

Jane felt the edges of his eyes soften, the corner of his lips turning up in the faintest of smiles. Lisbon blinked, eyeing him cautiously.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

Her consultant shook his head.

"No reason."

"Jane..." she warned. He stood up suddenly, his soft smile breaking into a bright grin.

"I feel like tea. Would you like some?"

"Jane."

"Do we have any cake?"

Lisbon released a soft growl of frustration, knowing that he would never tell her what made him smile like that.

"You know what's not fair? You. **You** are not fair. You always take advantage of people."

"I do? I don't mean to."

"Who would have known?" she said sarcastically. As she went to move past him into the kitchen, Jane caught her arm, lightly tugging her back towards him.

"Would it make things more balanced if I told you that you can take advantage of me whenever you want?"

He was gone before the punch could land on his arm, chuckling as he leapt out of her range.

"JANE!"

* * *

If you get a chance, please leave a review on your way out! :)


	6. Prudence

A/N I have been informed that the previous chapter left a lot of questions unanswered, and I hope this chapter clears a few of them up. I spent two days researching what 'Prudence' **actually** means, so...anyway... Thanks SOOOOOOOOOOOO much for the great feedback. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: As previously mentioned, if Simon Baker wants to gets his hands dirty with a little bit of building work, my number is...

* * *

In the six weeks since Lisbon had shot and killed Red John, nothing, yet everything, had changed.

Rigsby had finally scraped up the courage to ask Van Pelt to dinner. She said yes, obviously, something he still found astonishing each time he asked her after that.

Cho made the effort to smile more.

"Hey, where's Jane?" Rigsby asked suddenly, noting the conspicuous emptiness of the brown leather sofa. Van Pelt shrugged, turning back to her computer screen.

"Who knows?" she murmured. Cho frowned, his eyes flicking between the empty sofa and Lisbon's office. He knew he wasn't the only one to have noticed the sudden distance between senior agent and consultant.

Lisbon was angry. Not at anyone in particular (if Cho **had **to pick a member of their team, it would be Jane, but even the consultant was relatively innocent this time), except maybe herself.

Nobody knew what had happened in that barn, except Lisbon and Jane. Even the agents higher up the CBI food chain hadn't bothered with an investigation into the shooting. Red John was dead- that was all they needed to know.

The slamming of a file down on a desk signified the boss' entrance, and Lisbon appeared beside them.

"Where is he?" she snapped angrily. The three junior agents shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't know, boss," Cho replied.

"Jane!" Lisbon yelled, flinging open the door of her office. As she had suspected, the man in question lounged lazily in her chair, his feet resting on the desk.

"You know, the sound of your voice is music to my ears," he said with a bright smile. Lisbon glared at him, before sharply removing his feet from the pile of papers on her desk.

"I can't believe you! This is the seventh complaint in six weeks, Jane!"

"You're keeping track?" he replied flippantly.

"You told Mr Lebowski that his wife was having an affair!"

"I did?" he asked in mock surprise. Lisbon punched his arm.

"Jane!"

"What? You don't think he deserved to know?"

"I think she's dead and telling her husband that she was unfaithful did nothing but destroy any good memories he may have had! Besides, it wasn't your decision to make!"

"It was yours," Jane stated, trying to understand.

"Yes, and now he's in with Minnelli, making a formal complaint against **you** and the CBI," Lisbon said angrily. Jane stood up, relishing in the sudden height difference. She glared up at him, and he smirked infuriatingly.

"He'll drop the complaint. Give him ten minutes to rant about how out of control I am, then you'll go in and apologize for me, and it'll all be peachy."

Lisbon folded her arms across her chest.

"Not this time. You're on your own," she replied harshly. Jane placed a hand on his chest.

"You wound me."

Seeing the barely disguised contempt on her face, he sighed heavily.

"Lisbon, my dear, we both know you can't bear to see me gone," he continued. Lisbon narrowed her eyes menacingly.

"Out. Now."

His smirk faded, replaced by a deep frown.

"Why are you so angry at me?"

"I'm not," she retorted automatically.

"Liar."

"Jane, please..."

He was silent for a moment, and then took a few steps towards her.

"You feel guilty. You can't make up your mind whether shooting Red John was the right thing to do or not. You think that your experience and authority should make this easier, but it doesn't, does it?"

When Lisbon remained silent, Jane pressed on.

"And then you're questioning your ability to lead. You're wondering whether you've become too jaded, too marked by the job to guide Rigsby and Van Pelt and Cho. I think your capacity to foresee the outcome of an event has been knocked, your determination to keep private and professional separate gone, because of me. And that scares you."

Lisbon released a shaky breath, one she didn't know she'd been holding, and folded her arms.

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Good. Get out."

* * *

After the confrontation earlier that afternoon, Jane had disappeared without another word, much to Lisbon's relief. With the closure of another case, Rigsby not-so-subtly reminded her that it was her turn to buy the case closed pizza.

She dropped the two boxes to the table, having learnt a long time ago that one was just not enough, and watched Cho and Rigsby dive for it hungrily. Van Pelt rolled her eyes, setting plates down on the table.

"Did you get salad?" she asked. Lisbon nodded, sliding the plastic container along the table.

"Is Jane not coming?" Rigsby asked around a mouthful of cheese. The boss shrugged, taking her seat and reaching for her own salad.

"I guess not."

"So what actually happened in that barn, boss?" he asked, and Van Pelt gasped slightly.

"Rigsby!" she hissed. Cho remained silent, waiting to see whether Lisbon would actually answer. The woman in question set down her knife and fork, her brow creasing in a slight frown.

"I made a decision," she began slowly, "and Jane didn't like it."

"He was going to kill Red John, wasn't he?" Van Pelt asked in a soft voice. Lisbon hesitated, before nodding.

"Jane had...a very short space of time, to measure up both sides of his decision, and somewhere along the way he lost track of..."

"Reality?" Rigsby interrupted. Lisbon shot him a glare, her green eyes flashing.

"What would you do if someone you loved had been brutally murdered, and you had the opportunity to get back at them?" she snapped, pointedly looking between Rigsby and Van Pelt. The tall agent flushed, red creeping up into his cheeks. His silence gave Lisbon her answer, and she allowed her features to soften slightly.

"None of us can know what would happen if we were put in a situation like Jane's, but we're all humans. Ethical, moral, compassionate."

Cho felt a burst of pride as Lisbon looked around at all of them, the food on the table forgotten, but he wasn't sure whether it was Lisbon or the compliment he was so proud of.

"I know that each of you would consider the consequences of your actions before you went ahead and screwed up your careers. Except maybe Rigsby," she said with a slight smile, "because we all know he has no self-control."

Lisbon's attempt at lightening the atmosphere was readily received by both men, their previous conversation having gone too close to the personal/professional boundary. Van Pelt, however, wasn't quite finished.

"But how can you say that? _Jane_ didn't consider the consequences. _Jane_ was perfectly content to murder someone without a second thought!" she said heatedly. Lisbon levelled her with a steady stare.

"Yes," she agreed, "he was. But he didn't."

"Only because he's in love with you," Van Pelt retorted quickly, and then her hand flew to her mouth. At any other time, Lisbon would have laughed at the identical owlish expression on all three faces around her. Now she only blinked, cleared her throat, and looked down at her plate.

"Can we not talk about Jane anymore, please?" she said quietly. Cho nodded, glancing towards Rigsby and Van Pelt, but before he could answer, his cell phone rang. He stared at his phone, and hesitantly answered it. Lisbon scowled, knowing exactly who was calling.

"How did you get this number?" Cho sighed. Rigsby sniggered.

"The CBI really is a wonderful thing. Tell Lisbon that I need to talk to her," Jane said. Cho sighed again.

"Jane says…"

Lisbon glared at him.

"I know what he said," she snapped. Hearing her angry tone, Jane chuckled.

"Put me on speakerphone."

Cho hesitated, caught between his boss and the constant thorn in her side, but did as he was asked, replacing the phone on the table.

"I don't really want to talk to you," Lisbon said quietly. Jane sighed heavily.

"I know. I'm sorry about...well, everything, really."

Lisbon didn't know what to say to his apology, her mouth floundering. It had come so casually, she wondered for a moment whether it was just a trick of her imagination. After a second, she found her tongue, hiding her reactions behind a well-placed mask of indifference.

"What do you want, Jane?"

"Have dinner with me," he replied promptly. Had it not been frozen in shock, Cho's jaw would have dropped. Rigsby fought back a laugh, hastily covering his mouth with his napkin. Van Pelt hid a smile behind her hand, and watched a blush creep into her boss' cheeks.

Lisbon blinked, caught off-guard by his casual statement. _Did he…he can't be serious?_

"It's rude to ignore people," came the annoying voice from beside them. Jumping slightly, Lisbon looked up in frustration.

Rolling his eyes, Cho disconnected the call, sliding his phone back into his pocket. Smirking, Jane glanced at Lisbon, who glared back. When his smirk faded slightly, she felt a soft burst of guilty satisfaction.

"Do you really want to take her to dinner, or are you just being an ass?" Cho asked curiously.

"He's just being an ass," Lisbon said bitterly. Jane shrugged.

"I really want to take her to dinner."

Cho sighed, and reached for his wallet. Rigsby did likewise, and Lisbon rolled her eyes as two crisp twenties landed in Van Pelt's outstretched hand.

"Go away, Jane. We're busy."

Jane rested a hand on her shoulder, and as expected, Lisbon tensed beneath his touch.

"Jane…" she ground out. He frowned thoughtfully.

"Actually, you're busy. Cho's wondering whether you're going to kill me or jump me."

Cho choked on his water, sending droplets flying across the table. His cheeks turned uncharacteristically pink.

"Jane!"

Lisbon buried her head in her hands.

"Pick me up at seven," she said in defeat. Jane nodded, disappearing before she could put the knife on her plate to use. Cho cleared his throat.

"I wasn't really wondering whether..."

"Shut up, Cho."

* * *

Giggle. Unfortunately, no, I will not revealing what happens on their dinner date. I shall leave it up to your imagination. Which is dangerous enough, so need I say more? Reviews are love, people. Reviews are love.


	7. Temperance

A/N Now some of you may disagree with my interpretation of the word 'temperance', but I've decided to take it as meaning the following:

_a state of calm and balance, a way of knowing when it's time to give something up, and being able to have restraint._

So...if it's wrong, suck it up! :)

* * *

He had taken it off.

He had taken it off, and Teresa Lisbon had no idea why. She was fairly certain that he hadn't lost it, and in the time that she had known him, he had never once sent it for cleaning. She really had no idea.

So Lisbon had every intention of ignoring the fact that today, for the first time in a number of years, Patrick Jane wasn't wearing his wedding ring.

***

She was actually surprised that he managed to go as long as he did without annoying her.

"Why were you acting all strange today?"

Lisbon glanced up at the clock on her wall, realizing how late it was.

"Thirteen hours. I'm impressed, Jane." He sunk into the seat opposite her.

"Thank you. Now answer my question."

"I wasn't acting any different to how I normally do," she replied easily. Jane leant forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"You're lying," he said after a moment. She sighed heavily.

"What do you want?"

"I'm not wearing my wedding ring," he stated. Her insides jumped at his casualness.

"Oh, really?" she said, feigning surprise and hoping that he wouldn't hear the waver in her voice.

"Yes, really."

"That's nice for you."

Jane frowned curiously.

"Why aren't you asking me if I'm OK?"

Lisbon set down her pen, sitting back in her seat.

"Are you OK?"

"Thank you for asking, Lisbon. Yes, I'm fine."

She stood up, moving to place something into the filing cabinet, and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'm really busy, Jane, so if you wouldn't mind..."

"Lisbon, why did you ignore my missing ring?"

"Why are you making such a big deal out of it? I already told you, I didn't notice until you pointed it out."

"You're lying," he sang for the second time, earning himself a sharp glare. Jane took a step towards her, and in the hope of putting some space between them, Lisbon backed away. Right into the corner.

His grin grew.

"That, my dear Lisbon, was your first mistake. I knew that what with you being the outstanding investigator you are, you would notice the absence of my wedding ring. What intrigues me most is why you would pretend not to," he said, his voice infuriatingly matter-of-fact.

Lisbon knew she was blushing, and the unmistakeable twinkle in his eye did nothing but confirm her suspicions. She kept her mouth shut, glaring at him and defensively folding her arms.

"Ask me why I took it off."

"I don't care, Jane. Leave me alone."

Jane chuckled, and his hands slid to the small of her back.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, her voice a higher pitch than usual. Jane grinned, a stark contrast to the seriousness in his eyes.

"I'm conducting an experiment," he said softly, "into how far I'll be able to push the professional boundaries once I tell you that I'm done pretending you're nothing more than a friend."

She stared up at him.

"Jane...you don't mean that," she protested.

"Yes, I do."

Lisbon shivered. Jane smirked, pressing himself closer against her. This was wrong on so many levels, but she was powerless (or so she convinced herself) to do anything about it.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Lisbon?"

She glared at him.

"No," she snapped in reply.

"You want to know why I'm not wearing my wedding ring," Jane said in a low voice, "but you're afraid of what I might say, because there are too many rules, too many things in the way. Too many reasons why we shouldn't."

He dusted his lips over her cheek bone, letting his hands wander up her back.

"I don't care why you took it off," she replied stubbornly. Jane grinned.

"Yes, you do," he murmured. She slapped at his hands, pushing him away.

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop trying to...to..."

"To seduce you?" he finished with a grin. Lisbon released a shaky breath, her chest heaving.

"Yes," she admitted breathlessly. Jane let his forehead fall against hers, his smirk breaking into a grin.

"Is it working?"

Lisbon felt a reluctant smile tug at the corner of her lips.

"Yes."

The consultant lowered his head to the curve of her shoulder, pressing kisses to her neck. Lisbon took a deep breath, her smile disappearing at the realization of what they were about to do.

"Don't do this unless you plan on following through," she said softly. Jane paused, his wandering hands growing still.

"I always follow through," he murmured, searching for her lips, "Always."

Then his lips were touching hers, softly at first, until her hand tangled in his golden curls, and Jane deepened the kiss with a small groan.

Lisbon pulled him closer, sighing in pleasure when her back collided with the wall and his firm body pressed up against her. Their lips still joined, Jane moved to sit on the edge of her desk, pulling on the front of her jacket until she was as close to him as possible.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she murmured against his lips, although her smile told him that she really wasn't protesting. Jane chuckled knowingly.

"You're mouth is saying no, but your body is saying something completely different."

Tugging his bottom lip between her teeth to stifle her laugh, Lisbon's hands fell to his waist, her fingers searching for the pocket of his vest. She felt the cold circular object beneath her fingertips, and smiled into the kiss, withdrawing her hand from his wedding ring.

Jane pulled back, his lips barely leaving hers.

"A balance," he murmured, "between past and present."

"Are you certain this is what you want?" Lisbon said softly, "Because I don't know how much longer I can hold myself back."

He let a hand drift to her cheek, smoothing his thumb over her cheekbone.

"I want you," he replied seriously, "and I want to be able to love you without feeling like I'm betraying my wife."

At the horrified look on her face, Jane chuckled, pressing another quick kiss to her lips in the hope of stalling her protest.

"I didn't mean that I _**did **_feel that way. I just want you to be able to have all of me."

That was by far the sweetest thing anybody had ever said to her, and Lisbon didn't quite know how to take it. She lowered her eyes to his chest, fixating on the smooth tanned skin just visible above his shirt.

"Can we make this work?" she asked. Instead of replying, Jane once again caught her lips with his, sliding his hands backwards through her hair. A soft groan of contentment escaped her, and Lisbon realized that he had once again found a way to wrap her around his little finger.

Not that she minded, of course, because with the pleasure coiling in the pit of her stomach, the rest of the world was slowly fading away.

"Patrick?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"I just thought I should point out that I'm not having sex with you in my office."

His chuckle sent warmth rushing through her body, from her lips right down to her toes. Another kiss, longer this time.

"How do you feel about my sofa?"

* * *

So my ending totally...well, sucked. But I think part of me was reluctant to end it. I'm so sorry it took me a while to update! Oh yeah, and this very sadly brings us to the end of 'Cardinal Virtues'. Thank you to everybody who has been reviewing! If you're interested, I'm planning on doing the Seven Deadly Sins as well, but that depends on the alien invasion scheduled for November...


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